Growing up with high speed internet access has been a double edged sword. On one hand, we have access to more information than ever before. On the other, everyone has access to more of OUR information than ever before.
No, we don't mean like bank details and addresses (although in some cases, sorta kinda). We mean knowing random facts about others, like how your estranged best mate from primary school has soft launched more relationships in the last three months than you can even keep track of at this point.
It's a shared experience — one filled with anonymous question boxes, stalking your best friend's "Best Friends" on Snapchat* and staying up late, playing 20 questions on Kik Messenger with whoever was online at the time.
So, if you're thinking you've had an original experience growing up on the internet, look, you probably didn't. The older half of Gen Z used the internet with no f**ks given about a digital footprint.
As a Gen Z adult myself, I'll admit: Petkos' video is hard to listen to, because it means having to accept that I've done most of these things. What was I thinking? Honestly, what were most of us thinking?
We're so silly and goofy, guys!
Here are some of the things Petkos mentioned that most of us were guilty of doing back in the day (like, five years ago):
Rebranding this walk down memory lane as the official 'Try not to Cringe' challenge.
A tale as old as time that often started with an age important question: "If I was there with you now, what would we be doing?"
2. "Sending 40,000 [Snapchat] streaks a day"
3. Asking people to "like [your] recent"
4. "An absolute classic" — prompting people to comment down below and "ask for [a] tag" on your Instagram post
5. Commenting rows and rows of emojis under anyone's Instagram photos 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍
6. Posting Instagram story polls that went something like this: "Did we get closer this year? 🌹 Or drift? 🥀"
7. Following up from the Instagram/Snapchat story polls was asking who was at a certain location when you were bored...
"Who's at [insert the name of a local shopping centre]?"
8. Or, putting up a poll on your story to make plans with all of your followers during the school holidays
9. Adding to the list of things we all did: asking your mutual friends to Snap back or Like for a TBH — always "feat. Anon"
10. Posing with your hand in front of your face in photos
11. Hitting up people's DMs, commenting on their photos or posting on your stories asking to trade shoutouts
12. "Instagram Lives" — Not the celebrity version, the high school tween edition
Petkos reminisced about how unentertaining these were. Back then, we would sit with only the top half of our face showing — think forehead, eyes and nose bridge — and then whisper to the two people watching to ask you questions.
13. And finally, posting everything and anything with a Snapchat filter
Now that you've made it to the end of this list, it's time for you and I to reevaluate every digital decision we've ever made from the ages of 12 to 19.
Or, if you're still going through it, good luck Charlie xx
Make good choices.